Southern California -- this just in

Space shuttle Endeavour begins its final journey out of LAX

October 12, 2012 | 12:01
am

The
space shuttle Endeavour has begun its final journey, leaving a Los Angeles
International Airport hangar just before midnight Friday.

Just before 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the massive hangar doors opened, revealing
the last space shuttle ever built. Lights beamed onto the belly of the
spacecraft as the shuttle made its first steps toward its final
retirement home, the California Science Center.

The shuttle emerged into the darkness of a crisp, chilly fall night, below
partly cloudy skies. Soon enough, the shuttle disappeared onto a taxiway
into the darkness.

Over the next two days, the 170,000-pound shuttle is expected to travel at
no more than 2 mph along a 12-mile route that includes Westchester
Parkway, La Tijera Boulevard, Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King
Jr. Boulevard. The shuttle is moved by four computer-controlled transporters
that will help it negotiate complex turns and avoid streetside obstacles.

At points along the way, the space vehicle will be inches away from buildings
and protrude onto driveways and sidewalks. Because of the enormous weight
of the shuttle, thousands of heavy steel plates have been used to
reinforce city streets.

Endeavour is scheduled to arrive at the California Science Center by 9 p.m.
Saturday.

En route, the public can see the shuttle at a number of public viewing areas on
Friday along Manchester Boulevard in Inglewood, including Isis, Hindry and
Glasgow avenues as well as La Cienega Boulevard.

On Saturday, there will be several designated public viewing areas, including
the Forum in Inglewood, the intersection of Crenshaw and Martin
Luther King Jr. Boulevard, and certain parking lots in Exposition Park.